Effect of Carbon Nanotube on the Oscillating Wear Behaviour of Metal-PTFE Multilayer Composites

Abstract

Two kinds of metal-PTFE multilayer composites, which were composed of a steel backing, a middle layer of sintered porous bronze and a surface layer of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) filled by carbon nanotubes (CNTs) or not, were prepared. The wear properties of metal-PTFE multilayer composites oscillating against 45 carbon steel under dry condition were evaluated on an oscillating wear tester, and the effect of CNTs on wear behaviour of metal-PTFE multilayer composites was studied. The results showed that the worn surface of metal-PTFE multilayer composites was characterized by adhesive wear, abrasive wear and fatigue wear. The CNTs greatly increased the adhesion strength of PTFE in the metal-PTFE composites and thereby greatly reduced puck, ploughing, and fatigue failure of PTFE during wearing. The PTFE filled with CNTs prevented direct contact between the mating surfaces and served as fine self-lubricating film, in which the oscillating wear mechanism of the composites was changed to a slightly adhesive wear. Therefore, the CNTs significantly decreased the weight loss and obviously increased the wear resistance of metal-PTFE multilayer composites.

Keywords

carbon nanotubes / Metal-PTFE composites / oscillating wear / self-lubricating